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A 30 to 40m motor yacht based in Costa Smeralda in 2026 high season runs $160,000 to $240,000 per week plus a 30 percent APA, takes 8 to 10 guests, and carries the highest port fees per night of any non-Monaco destination in the Western Med. Marina di Porto Cervo's August slip rate for the bracket runs €4,000 to €9,000 per night, and the first two weeks of August are functionally fully claimed by 1 May. Olbia Costa Smeralda airport is the embarkation transfer; the Olbia-to-Porto Cervo road is 25 minutes outside August and 60 to 90 minutes in central August.
Why the bracket fits Costa Smeralda specifically
Costa Smeralda is a 50nm corridor from Olbia north to the La Maddalena archipelago, with the bracket the right size for almost every anchorage and harbour along it. Marina di Porto Cervo handles the bracket comfortably with slip count two to three times the Saint-Tropez equivalent. Marina dell'Orso (Poltu Quatu), Cala di Volpe, and Marina di Porto Rotondo cover the southern Costa Smeralda. Above 40m the Porto Cervo slip count narrows and yachts above 50m frequently anchor in Porto Cervo Sud or in the Cala Granu roadstead.
The La Maddalena archipelago is the destination payoff. The bracket draws shallow enough (typical 2.5 to 3.5m draft) to anchor in Spiaggia Rosa, Cala Corsara, the Budelli area (limited access), Spargi anchorages, and the Lavezzi crossing for the Bonifacio day. The shallow-draft anchorages here are the value relative to French Riviera anchorages and are the reason the Costa Smeralda fleet pulls premium charter rates even outside Porto Cervo overnights.
The bracket also handles the Sardinia-Corsica day-cross efficiently. Porto Cervo to Bonifacio (south Corsica) is 16nm. The Bonifacio day plus return for an overnight back in Costa Smeralda is a routine day-pattern.
Weekly rate map for 2026
Ranges below are for high season (mid-July to late August) in 2026, before APA at 30 percent, gratuity at 10 percent, and Italian VAT under the commercial exemption rules. Costa Smeralda rates sit at the top of the Italian peak band; only Monaco runs higher in the bracket.
| LOA bracket | Motor yacht (low to high) | Sailing yacht (low to high) |
|---|---|---|
| 30 to 33m | $160K to $190K per week | $120K to $155K per week |
| 33 to 36m | $180K to $215K per week | $140K to $175K per week |
| 36 to 40m | $205K to $240K per week | $165K to $200K per week |
Porto Cervo slip fees alone run €4,000 to €9,000 per night for the bracket in August. APA absorbs both slip fees and the La Maddalena park access fees (which are nominal at the bracket).
Shoulder season (mid-May to mid-June, and from 1 September) drops these by 25 to 35 percent. June Costa Smeralda is the value window; the air is clearer, the anchorages are open, and the Porto Cervo slip pressure is meaningfully lower. Mid-September after the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup is the second value window.
For broader context, see Mediterranean charter weekly rates and the Costa Smeralda destination page.
What is in the bracket in the Costa Smeralda fleet at this bracket
Cabins. 5 cabins for 10 guests is standard. The Costa Smeralda charter fleet is more weighted toward 4-cabin owner-spec yachts than the Italian average because of the Italian-Sardinian ownership pattern (Aga Khan legacy, northern-Italian owner concentration).
Crew. 7 to 9, Italian-flagged majority with a high share of Sardinian captains who know the La Maddalena anchorage rotations cold. This local knowledge is one of the genuinely under-priced specs in the Costa Smeralda charter market.
Tenders. Two tenders is standard. A specialist beach-landing tender for Spiaggia Rosa and the Spargi anchorages is more useful here than a Riva-style display tender; the Costa Smeralda anchorage day is beach-heavy.
At-anchor stabilizers. Useful but not as critical as on the Amalfi Coast. The La Maddalena anchorages are largely well-protected; only the August mistral days from the northwest test the stabilizer kit.
Helipad. Useful at the upper end of the bracket. Olbia Costa Smeralda airport handles fixed-wing arrivals; the helipad transfer saves roughly 60 minutes in central August traffic and is the only practical mid-charter shore guest pickup.
Trip shapes that fit the bracket
The Costa Smeralda plus La Maddalena week. Embark Porto Cervo, Cala di Volpe day, La Maddalena archipelago rotation (Spiaggia Rosa, Spargi, Budelli), Bonifacio day, return Porto Cervo. Seven nights. The bracket is the textbook size.
The Sardinia-Corsica week. Embark Porto Cervo, Bonifacio (two nights), Porto-Vecchio, south Corsica anchorages, return via Lavezzi to Porto Cervo. Seven nights. The bracket clears the customs documentation cleanly.
The full-Sardinia run. Embark Olbia or Porto Cervo, Costa Smeralda corridor, La Maddalena, Alghero (west Sardinia), Bosa, Cagliari, return north. Fourteen nights. The bracket handles the passage; the trip is for the third-time Italian charter client.
For destination context, see Charter Costa Smeralda and Charter Sardinia.
What this bracket does not do well in Costa Smeralda
Last-minute Porto Cervo in August. The slip inventory for the first two weeks of August is essentially closed by mid-May. Charter clients asking inside 6 weeks should expect to base on a Cala Granu or Porto Cervo Sud anchorage and tender into the marina.
Single-port week. Costa Smeralda rewards a moving charter, not a stationary one. The Porto Cervo overnight is a centrepiece night, not a weekly base. Charter clients who want a stationary week should consider Capri or Mallorca instead.
Long-passage weeks east. Costa Smeralda to Amalfi or Sicily is a two-day passage at the bracket. The cross is workable but should not consume more than 25 percent of the charter week's hull-hours.
What we would book
For two couples, seven days in mid-June: a 33m motor yacht with 4 cabins, Costa Smeralda plus La Maddalena week. Budget $180K plus APA plus VAT, all-in roughly $275K. Booking lead time: 5 to 7 months. Mid-June is the value window.
For a family of 8 to 10, ten days in early August: a 38m motor yacht with 5 cabins, Costa Smeralda plus Corsica week with two Porto Cervo nights confirmed. Budget $230K plus APA plus VAT, all-in roughly $360K. Booking lead time: 10 to 12 months.
For a sailing-led trip, six guests, ten days in early September: a 38m sailing yacht out of Porto Cervo, Sardinia-Corsica cross. Budget $175K plus APA plus VAT, all-in roughly $265K. Booking lead time: 4 to 6 months. Mid-September after the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup is the prime sailing window.
Build year, refit, condition
The Costa Smeralda 30 to 40m fleet is the youngest Italian regional fleet at the bracket because Porto Cervo's slip-as-status economics pull fresh builds into the rotation. A 2018 to 2024 build is the realistic value zone for charter clients targeting Costa Smeralda specifically. Older builds with a current refit compete on rate, not on Porto Cervo visibility.